Abstract: A system and method for matching all loaded baggage with passengers during aircraft boarding provides each passenger with a boarding pass and baggage tags, each having the same unique machine readable code imprinted thereon. A scanner and memory device at the boarding point scans and reads a passenger's pass and stores the code. A portable scanner and memory at the baggage loading point scans and reads each luggage tag and stores each code. The stored codes are delivered to the passenger loading gate prior to departure of the aircraft. A computer compares stored passenger codes with stored baggage codes. Lack of a stored loading pass code with a matching stored code of loaded baggage is indicated to permit inspection of such baggage prior to aircraft departure.